# Why did they name as asteroid after Anne Frank? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 6, 2002, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-as-asteroid-after-anne-frank/135496 "2002-11-06T03:34:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2002, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-as-asteroid-after-anne-frank/135496/1 "2002-11-06T03:34:07Z")
[http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/space/11/05/asteroid.stardust/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/space/11/05/asteroid.stardust/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2002, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-as-asteroid-after-anne-frank/135496/2 "2002-11-06T04:16:50Z")
Because she’s cool? Seriously, there are so many astronomical objects around today that if we stuck to mythological characters and astronomers, we’d run out soon. So why _not_ name it after her? ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2002, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-as-asteroid-after-anne-frank/135496/3 "2002-11-06T04:58:05Z")
Comets are named after the discoverer, but asteroids are named _by_ the discoverer. He/she can choose pretty much any name, though it’s usually not his/her own name. Names of family members, geographical names, and famous/historic people are common. [Here](http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/lists/MPNames.html) is a complete list. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2002, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-as-asteroid-after-anne-frank/135496/4 "2002-11-06T05:20:17Z")
Wow, there’s even more than I thought. To give you some idea, Annefrank is not the only comet named after an Anne. There’s also: Anna, Annafreud, Annagerman, Annalaura, Annapavlova, Annatalova, Anndavgui, Anne-Marie, Annefrank, Annelemaitre, Anneliese, Annenskij, Anneraugh, Anneres, and Annette. ---
**Author:** ![KiPPoS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a9adbd/32.png) [@KiPPoS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KiPPoS)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2002, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-as-asteroid-after-anne-frank/135496/5 "2002-11-06T11:37:33Z")
A whole buch of them seem to be named by finns. At least: Hameenlinna, Helsinki, Innanen, Iso-Heikkila, Jyvaskyla, Kaali, Kaarina, Kallavesi, Kalle, Kalevala, Kukkamaki, Lahti, Vartiovuori, Vilen. Boy, aren’t we smart. Or at least good at looking at distant rocks. ---
**Author:** ![Chris\_Aikman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ba8739/32.png) [@Chris\_Aikman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chris_Aikman)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-as-asteroid-after-anne-frank/135496/6 "2015-12-09T05:02:50Z")
Here’s your answer: > **[Dictionary of Minor Planet Names](https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_5280)** ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-as-asteroid-after-anne-frank/135496/7 "2015-12-09T07:52:22Z")
Why not? If there is one discovered that is on a crash course to Uranus, I hope they name it “Mrs. Slocombe’s Pussy”. That way the headlines can read “_ **Mrs. Slocombe’s Pussy Makes Contact With Uranus** _” ---
**Author:** ![Encinitas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Encinitas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Encinitas)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-as-asteroid-after-anne-frank/135496/8 "2015-12-09T08:08:53Z")
Asteroid [4822 Karge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4822_Karge) is named for my high school physics teacher. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-as-asteroid-after-anne-frank/135496/9 "2015-12-09T18:05:54Z")
> [@Achernar](#): > > Wow, there’s even more than I thought. To give you some idea, Annefrank is not the only comet named after an Anne. There’s also: Anna, Annafreud, Annagerman, Annalaura, Annapavlova, Annatalova, Anndavgui, Anne-Marie, Annefrank, Annelemaitre, Anneliese, Annenskij, Anneraugh, Anneres, and Annette. But not Agnetha or Anni-Frid? Come on, astronomers! If you change your minds, they’re the first in line. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-as-asteroid-after-anne-frank/135496/10 "2015-12-09T19:06:32Z")
My favorite asteroid name is 2309 Mr. Spock. It’s not actually named after the famous Vulcan, but after the discoverer’s [cat](http://articles.latimes.com/1994-07-22/local/me-18654_1_pet-names). According to discoverer James Gibson, the feline Spock, like his namesake, was “imperturbable, logical, intelligent, and had pointed ears”. This caused a bit of a hullabaloo that led to pets being off limits for who you can name asteroids after. The real Spock recently got his own back, though, when Leonard Nimoy’s name was given to [4864 Nimoy](http://www.space.com/29627-leonard-nimoy-asteroid-name.html). ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2015, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-as-asteroid-after-anne-frank/135496/11 "2015-12-11T00:57:45Z")
Why do you ask? Are you opposed to the idea of an iconic historical figure who educated the world about the horrors of war and impending genocide being named after a heavenly body? What’s your agenda in asking? Do you think she’s unworthy of the honor? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2015, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-as-asteroid-after-anne-frank/135496/12 "2015-12-11T01:07:34Z")
If one of us discovers an asteroid, can it be named “zombiethread”? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2015, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-name-as-asteroid-after-anne-frank/135496/13 "2015-12-11T02:41:27Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Why do you ask? Keep in mind that he asked the question in 2002. He might not remember why he asked.